In many circumstances, such as retail sales, it is often desirable to present or display information such as pricing, or even stock or code numbers, relevant to any given item. Thus, for example, in a supermarket or other retailer having high inventory turnover, prices may change from week to week, or possibly even daily On the other hand, certain other kinds of retailers may have fixed or constant prices that may last for weeks or months at a time. Similarly, inventory control may require that the identifying information as to any bin of parts, for example, may require only relatively seldom changes--perhaps only once or twice in a year.
All of those circumstances, and of course many others, lend the themselves to utilization of the apparatus and method of the Present invention. In all events, the card presents and displays alphanumeric information--which may be alphabetic or numeric, usually numeric--by presenting what is essentially a universal digit "8" having much the same appearance as that which is shown on an ordinary LCD (liquid crystal display) watch, where none or some of the bar segments may be altered so as to change the value of the display digit that is shown.
In the usual circumstance, and for the best visual display, the multi-segmented alphanumeric presentation display digits are preferably formed in a contrasting light colour to the dark colour of the background on which they are presented.
Therefore, the present invention provides not only a card for exhibiting and displaying alphanumeric information, it provides also the means by which the alphanumeric information may be altered or amended. The overall apparatus thus includes the card and a marker. At the same time, recognition is made of the fact that, on occasion, it may be that once a card has been marked it will not be marked again. This, however, remains in keeping with the present invention, in that a number of standard cards may be obtained, and in any event each card may be marked differently than any other card by obscuring various ones of the bar segments of each of the multi-segmented alphanumeric presentation display digits, so as to present specific alphanumeric information.
It also follows, therefore, that a method of exhibiting, displaying, and changing alphanumeric information is provided by the present invention, by not only providing the card but a marker, and by providing a means whereby the specific alphanumeric data which may be displayed in a readable manner may be changed by changing the colour of none or some of the bar segments of each multi-segmented digital display. Once again, as noted above, once any bar segment has been changed, only the unchanged bar segments are thereafter readily visible and distinguished from the background field, because of the equivalence of the color of the marker ink and the color of the background field, and because of the contrast of the color of the unmarked bar segments to that of the background field.
Obviously, similar presentations can be made electronically, using either LED's (light emitting diodes), LCD's (liquid crystal displays), and so on. However, it is very obvious that the installed capital cost of any electronically operated alphanumeric display, on which the display may be varied from time to time is very high. However, for such static purposes as Pricing or other information display, it is often not necessary to undertake the capital costs of electronic devices.
There are several other mechanical devices known in the prior art, but they also represent very high and significant capital costs. For example, NIDELKOFF in U.S. Pat. No. 4,115,936 dated Sept. 26, 1978, teaches to a sign which has self-storing characters that are quickly changeable. However, although the background and the characters may have color contrast and/or illumination, the change is made by moveable shutters--in other words, using moveable and specific mechanical pieces. Obviously, the capital costs of such a device are quite high.
A similar device, having bar segments which may be altered using magnetic material, is shown in ROBINSON et al, U.S. Pat. 4,507,888 issued Apr. 2, 1985. Yet another device is shown in HALLIDAY, U.S. Pat. No. 4,539,768 issued Sept. 10, 1985. Here again, specific flaps or mechanical means are required to change each segment so as to alter its value.
It will be noted that when a universal, seven-segment, standard digit "8" is used, with the exception of changing two bar segments which increases the value of the "8" to "9", that otherwise changing bar segments results either in a lower value or a substantially meaningless symbol. This is not often of concern, but when it is of any concern several security measures can be taken which preclude inadvertent or malicious changes to cards according to the present invention. For example, a simple expedient may simply be to place cards behind a clear cover plate, in much the safe manner as price cards are often placed between clear sheets of plastic in stands or holders. Another step that may be taken in order to secure the integrity of the digital or alphanumeric information being displayed, as discussed in greater detail hereafter, is to use special inks and/or special surfaces on the cards. Thus, it may be possible that the cards--that is, the bar segments on the cards--may not be altered except using inks that will somehow favourably react with or cover the material of the surface of the card; or, it may be that inks will be used that may not be removed from bar segments except using special solvents.
In some instances, for visual purposes and perhaps for alphanumeric display purposes, it may be convenient to display the universal "8" having twinned pairs of bar segments. The appearance of such displays is discussed in greater detail hereafter.